Garment stiffener



ug. 27, 1963 R, BosER ETAL 3,101,483

GARMENT STIFFENER Filed Dec. 5, 1960 nw/Ty F|G.7 FIG. 8

\ INVENToRs 11 40 Ronald Boser ""`.4:c= 1'.w BY Wllllam L. Chalfln ATTORNEY United States Patent O This invention relates to garment stiffeners and methods of making the same.

Substantial amounts of stiffeners are used in the manufacture of various items of Wearing apparel, and particularly in the making of brassieres, foundation garments and the like. Such stiffeners conventionally comprise a wire, bone or [the like, which is enclosed in various materials, including fabric, plastic or the like. Thus, fabric pockets are stitched to receive the stiffener element. Such mode of manufacture is expensive and necessarily is at a low rate of production.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a novel garment stiffener structure and method of making the same, which results in substantial manufacturing economies and increased rates of production.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of making garment stiifeners where the stiifening element may take varied shapes or configurations, yet the same may be covered with selected covering materials at `a very high rate of production.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel garment stiffener wherein a stifener element is sealed within a pocket structure containing air under some compression thereby giving the garment stiffener a cush1oned effect.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel garment stiifener comprising a stiffening element sealed within a pocket structure, said pocket structure including inner portions of heat scalable resin material and outer cover portions of resilient foam, fabric or combinations thereof which are sealed about the stiffening element to provide outer facings for the garment stiffener of selected texture, quality and characteristics.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a garment stiffener embodying the invention; FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the method of making a garment stiffener; FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of stiifener; FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a further modification; FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the making of a curved garment stiffener; FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the elements forming a garment stiiener; FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a further embodiment of ,the invention; and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 8.

Essentially, lin accordance with the invention, the novel garment stiifeners are formed by a die cutting or blanking procedure. Thus, individual stiiener elements, which may be formed of wire, braided wire, plastic, metal or the like, are sandwiched between thin sheets of thermoplastic res-in material such as vinyl, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or the like.

Heat sealing and/or cutting dies are then applied to the sandwiched materials to cut and seal the resin sheets about the perimeter of each stiffener element; the sealing edge of the die being related to the conguration of the stiiener element. Furthermore, the sandwich may further include resilient foam layers, Various types of fabric, or combinations thereof, thus providing stilfeners having selected coverings.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, a garment stilfener gen- ICC erally designated at 10 comprises a stilfener element 11 which may be a wire, bone, braided wire or the like, in elongated form, is enclosed between strips 12, y13 of a thermoplastic material such as vinyl resin. The strips 12, 13 are sealed together about the periphery of element 11, as at -side edges 14, 15 and ends 16, 17, thus fully enclosing and sealing element y1.1.

Stiifener l1.1 may be formed as shown in FIG. 3, wherein stiffener elements 11 are disposed in spaced relation between vinyl resin sheets 12A, 13A and dies *17, 18 having combined cutting and sealing edges 19, are suitably registered in relation to each stiffener element 11, to effect the sealing operation. -Dies'17, 18 are arranged for heating and appropriate movement, in a manner known in the art.

As shown in FIG, 4, a garment stiffener generally indicated at 10A, is similar to stilfener '10, except that strips 20, 21 of polyvinyl chloride foam are disposed over resin strips 12., 13 and are concomittantly sealed at edges thereof, thereby providing each of ,stiffeners 10A with a cushioning outer layer. The thermoplastic strips 12, 13a firmly secure the edges of strips 20, 21.

While the sealed coverings for stiffeners 10, 10A are shown in FIGS. l, 2 and 4 with flanged peripheral por tions as at 14, 15, 16, 17, which also provides means for sewing said stiffeners to portions of garments with which the stiffeners are associated; the sealing-cutting die used may have operative edges which produce a `stiffener 101B with sealed edges 22 of the pinch type, as show-n in FIG. 5.

Furthermore, the stiffener element 11A, yshown in FIG. 5 may be of elliptical section; and further, the sealing perimeter of strips 12B, 13B may be such as to provide air spaces 23 about element 11A, allowing the same to shift laterally within the pocket formed by strips 12A, 13A. `Provision may also be made for limited longitudinal shift of the element 111A. In addition, the air entrapped within the sealed strips may be under slight compression to give a cushioning effect to the stiffener 10B.

The procedure described above, particularly lends itself to the formation of covered stilfeners of irregular shape. Thus, as .shown in FIG. 6, curved stiifeners 30 may be formed from superposed sheets 31 of thermoplastic vinyl resin, with the precurved stiffener elements 32 sandwiched therebetween in spaced relation. The cutting and sealing die, not shown, has an operative sealing edge of appropriate configuration, so that the individual stiffeners 30 may be blanked out at a high rate of production. By the use of supplemental layers of foam, fabric or combinations thereof, stilfeners 30 may be provided with any desired outer covering.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, Istitfener element 32 may be sandwiched between successive layers of resin material as at 31, foam at 33 and fabric at 34.

Furthermore, stilfener elements 11 may be applied directly to a selected portion of a garment panel, without sewing. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, a garment panel, generally designated at `40, is stiffened on a selected portion thereof, by locating on such panel portion stiifener element 11, together with thermoplastic resin strips 12, 13 on either side thereof, and a fabric cover stripy 34. A foam strip may be associated with or replace fabric strip 34. Upon applying a heated sealing die of appropriate contigui-ation, the peripheral edges 41 of fabric strip` 34 are heat sealed to panel 40' by way of thermoplastic resin strips y12, 13.

It is understood that separate dies may be used for heat .sealing the thermoplastic strips and associated layers and for cutting the peripheral edges thereof; such dies being used in succession.

As various changes might be made in fthe embodiments of the invention herein disclosed Without departing from the spirit thereof, it -is understood that all matter shown or described herein shall be deemed illustrative .and made by way of limitation except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment stifener comprising an elongated stiiener element, a covering for said stitener element comprising a pair of thin thermoplastic resin strips respectively on opposite sides of said stiffener element, said resin strips having' peripheral marginal portions projecting beyond the peripheral edges of said stiffener element, a pair of thermoplastic resilient foam cushioning strips over and enclosing said resin strips, the opposed marginal edges of said resin and foam strips being heat sealed together continuously about the perimeter of said stiener element, to enclose said stiffener element.

2. A garment stiiener as in claim 1 wherein air under compression is entrapped between said thermoplastic strips.

3. A garment stitfener as in claim 1 `and further including fabric strips overlying said foam strips, the marginal edge portions of said fabric strips being bonded to the marginal edge port-ions of said foam strips.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 454,587 Bray June 23, 1891 2,048,238 Weeks July 2, 1936 2,614,261 McTighe Oct. 21, 1952 2,637,041 Bachmann May 5, 1956 2,702,907 Berniker et al. Mar. 1, 1955 2,875,931 Monteleone et al Mar. 3, 1959 3,032,775 Robitaille et al. May 8, 19562 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,185 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1939 

1. A GARMENT STIFFENER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STIFFENER ELEMENT, A COVERING FOR SAID STIFFENER ELEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF THIN THERMOPLASTIC RESIN STRIPS RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STIFFENER ELEMENT, SAID RESIN STRIPS HAVING PERIPHERAL MARGINAL PORTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID STIFFENER ELEMENT, A PAIR OF THERMOPLASTIC RESILIENT FORM CUSHIONING STRIPS OVER AND ENCLOSING SAID RESIN STRIPS, THE OPPOSED MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID RESIN AND FORM STRIPS BEING HEAT SEALED TOGETHER CONTINUOUSLY ABOUT THE PERMITER OF SAID STIFFENER ELEMENT, TO ENCLOSE SAID STIFFENER ELEMENT. 